Beyoncé: At 10, I had recorded about 60 songs

Beyoncé, the American singer, says she had recorded about 60 songs when she was 10 years old.

“I started taking voice lessons from an opera singer at nine. By 10 I had already recorded at least 50 or 60 songs in the recording studio,” said the 39-year-old music star when she featured as the cover of Harper’s Bazaar’s September issue.

Queen Bey, as she is fondly called, also narrated her struggles with racial discrimination at the outset of her career, adding that a lot of people expected her to fail while growing up because she is black.

She recalled how she usually had to work harder than others during singing contests to be sure of victory due to her skin colour.

“I was competing in dance and singing competitions at age seven. When I was on the stage, I felt safe. I was often the only Black girl, and it was then that I started to realize I had to dance and sing twice as hard. I had to have stage presence, wit, and charm if I wanted to win,” she said.

“I sacrificed a lot of things and ran from any possible distraction. I felt as a young Black woman that I couldn’t mess up. I felt the pressure from the outside and their eyes watching for me to trip or fail.

“I couldn’t let my family down after all the sacrifices they made for me and the girls. That meant I was the most careful, professional teenager and I grew up fast.

“I wanted to break all of the stereotypes of the Black superstar, whether falling victim to drugs or alcohol or the absurd misconception that Black women were angry.

“I knew I was given this amazing opportunity and felt like I had one shot. I refused to mess it up, but I had to give up a lot.”

The award-winning singer also teased fans about her new project, disclosing that “it’s coming.”

“…I’ve been in the studio for a year and a half. After 31 years [in the industry], it feels just as exciting as it did when I was nine years old. Yes, the music is coming!” she added.